Wells Sports Foundation launches Grassroots Sports Grant Scheme

The Wells Sports Foundation is delighted to announce that its grassroots Sports Grants scheme is now open for applications.

The first closing date for receiving applications will be the 10th March 2010.

This exciting new initiative means that sports clubs across the UK can apply for grants between £500 and £2,000 to help aid them in their own development. The Wells Sports Foundation’s primary objective is to encourage greater participation in sports at grassroots level, and it is the founder Barrie Well’s belief that this can be achieved through supporting sustainable projects which share the same goals and vision, to create a lasting legacy for British sport.

Five of Britain’s top swimming athletes, including World Champion Liam Tancock, Commonwealth Champion Caitlin McClatchey, Olympians Hannah Miley and Lizzie Simmonds as well as European Junior Champion Anne Bochmann were all announced as Ambassadors for the Foundation when it was officially launched on 27th November.

In return, the athletes receive private funding from Barrie to aid their own training and development. Both the athletes and Barrie believe that the personal funding they receive can make a significant difference towards their own development in professional sport and seriously enhance their chances of winning a medal at the London 2012 games.

The athletes have all been personally selected by Barrie Wells, and part of their role as Ambassadors is to act as mentors, to inspire and encourage the next generation to participate in sport. In the coming months, all of the athletes will be involved in visiting grassroots sports projects as part of the Sporting Ambassador scheme which is due to launch in March.

Barrie Wells, founder of the Wells Sports Foundation, adds: “I have always wanted to make a difference in the sporting arena and, alongside my private funding of future Olympians, I feel that extra funding would make a real difference to sports clubs at grassroots level. There are so many young people who could benefit from being involved in sport at all levels and it is within these clubs that Britain’s future talent is identified. One of our key criteria when issuing grants is that the money spent will seek to increase and sustain participation in sport. This will include funding projects that will develop and increase coaches and volunteers. I’ve been working behind-the-scenes on setting up the Foundation for a year now, so it’s incredibly exciting to be ready to start receiving applications.”